Young People in anadventure with Scientists

Dr Kenny WebsterLearning and Operations Manager

Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

@kennywebster

Thinktank SHCL - Vision• Local community

– create paid opportunities and develop transferable skills for local young people

• Science/ learning– raise awareness of and encourage young people to follow careers in

science/ heritage• Thinktank

– staff become more representative of local communities and being advocates for the museum

• Museum sector– trained individuals armed with the skills necessary to carry out entry-level

museum jobs

The Career Ladder Model

• Hierarchy of paid experiences in the museum

• New York Hall of Science have been running a career ladder for over 25 years

• Programme recruits, trains and pays students to work as Explainers

• 150 people in their program

SHCL

• Who is our audience?– Young people

– Living or studying locally

– Still in education

– People with available time

• College students over the

Summer Holiday

SHCL

• Who is confident but not too confident

• Who can understand the concept of enabling

• Who can follow instructions

• Who shows enthusiasm for the role

2008 - 2012

• Recruited through local colleges• Careers events, careers advisors• 31 Traineeships• 12 Volunteers• 8 permanent staff• An army of casual staff!

What do they learn?• Customer Service• Practical ‘Enabling’ - communicating• Disability and Diversity awareness• Care of Collections• Career advice and assistance

• Transferable skills• Cultural skills

The future?

• ACE funding to extend to other Birmingham Museum sites• Cultural Career Ladders

• Absorbed the work experience programme into the SHCL

• Ignite - Thinktank Young People’s Forum

• Creating a clearer engagement journey for young people

Young People in anadventure with Scientists

Dr Kenny WebsterLearning and Operations Manager

Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

@kennywebster